Mechanical shovel attachment for tractors



March 26, 1946.

J. H. vowLEss MECHANICAL SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed May 19,1944 3 Sheets$heet 1 March 26, 1946. vow ss 2,397,303

MECHANICAL SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed May 19, 1944 i 3Sheets-Sheet 2 March 26, 1946. VIOWLESS 2,397,303

MECHANICAL SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed May 19, 1944 sSheeis-Sheet s 1'9 v :\wa, I

Patented Mar. 26, 1946 OFFICE;

MECHANICAL snovm. ATTACHMENT. I FOR 'mac'rons Jack Hosking Vowless, TeKauwhata, New Zealand Application May 19, 1944, Serial No. 536,387 InNew Zealand May 21,1943

' 1 Claim.

This invention relates to mechanical shovel attachments to tractorswhich are used in a large number of circumstances particularly concernedwith earth shifting operations of different kinds.

The invention provides a construction and combination ofparts comprisingmechanism for lowering and raising a crane lik jib carrying the shoveland in which the control. operations are simply effected and a strongquick acting structure is obtained.

The essential feature of novelty in this invention comprises the use ofhydraulic power as the means for operating the cranejib and theemployment of means for controlling the actuating liquid (suitably alight oil) in the operations of the said hydraulic means. Other featuresof the invention ar concerned with the mounting of theshovel scoop inthe jib end and for the locking thereof and the releasing, to cause itsfilling and emptying.

The mechanism is designed to be operated in a manner to provide for theshovel being locked loadout over the front. The lowering of the jibrestores the shovel to its scooping position and automatically looks itready for a further series of operations.

In giving effect to the invention the crane forming jib is mounted on asuitable framing inder when the head is to be raised. The liqui supplyis contained in a suitable tank and from back edge of the shovel whensuch shovel is swung up on its pivots and to lock it against tip-,

erected on the tractor so that the jib extends forwardly and is adaptedto swing up and down in the line of the tractor and over the tractorfront. A hydraulic ram is provided and the cylinder at its closed andlower end journalled on a suitable stand plate fixed in the framing sothat its upper or head end is capable of swinging to and fro in the lineof the jib. This ram extends generally in a vertical line about midwayin the width of the crane jib which jib is made with two mainlongitudinal side bars disposed an approveddistance apart. The ram headis connected to the jib frame so that the rising of the head and thelowering thereof in the operations of the ram, will cause the jib to beraised and lowered.

A pump is combined with the ram and such pump is driven from the engineof the tractor by suitable mechanism to provide for the pump frame.

being driven to force the liquid into the ram cylthis the pump draws itsliquid to force into the ram and into this the ram exhausts as the ramis actuated in the manner characteristic of a hyrear of its centre ofgravity so that its tendency is to swing down at its forward end. Thefront end of the shovel is connected by a rope with an overheadextension of the main frame which rop is so adjusted in length that whenthe jib is lowered, the shovel is raised by the pull of the rope. Therope may have a spring interposed in its length. Pawl catches arepivoted on the front end of the jib and these are designed to turn downby spring action and to engage the ping forward. The pawls have a leverconnection, with a rod attached thereto and extending back into thetractor. The other end of the rod has a hand lever associated therewith,by the manipulation of which the pawl may be operated to release theshovel when such is to be freed to tip out its contents. The mainframing is so constructed that the jib is kept from swinging laterallyin its up and down travel.

The invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure2 is a plan showing the framingfor the jib arranged on a tractor which is indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a view of the front members of the frame.

Figure 4 is a view of the rear members of the Figure 5 is a side view ofthe operating levers for controlling the pump and the tipping of theshovel.

Figure 6 is a side view and Figure 7 is a front view of the hydraulicram see Figures 3 Figure 12 is an end view of a swinging pulley for thevflexible attachment between the ram and r the jib frame. 7

Figure 13 is a view, in diagrammatic form showing the valve controlbetween the pump and the ram.

Figure 14 is a view showing a cushioning device for the shovel. I

It will be seen by referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings that aframe is erected on the tractor I (indicated by dotted lines) and isformed of uprights 2 attached at their 'ends to the rear axle housing 3(also indicated by dotted lines) of the tractor in any suitable manner,for example in the way shown at 4 in Figure 1. Other uprights 5, joinedby a lower cross plate 6 and dia onal straps l, are attached to thefront of the tractor in any convenient manner while webs 8 from theuprights are also attachable to the front of the tractor and furthersecure the uprights. Members 9 extend from the upper ends of the frontuprights to the rear uprights while diagonal stays ill from the front ofthe tractor on each side thereof to the rear uprights brace the frame soformed.

The jib frame is formed of side members ll, Ha and I2, 12a each pair ofside members being joined at their front ends by angle plates l4 andattheir rear ends by angle plates l5. Each upper side member Ila and l2ais formed with an angle from which plates [6 and Mia depend torespective lower members of the frame, these plates being joined bycross stays H, see Fig. 7, while a cross stay l6 at the front end of thejib members completes the frame of the jib. The rear ends of the jibframe are joumalled in hearing plates l9 attached to the rear uprightsso that the front end of the jib may swing up and down in line with thetractor front the side members of the jib frame being on the exterior ofthe front uprights in order to prevent lateral swing of the jib duringits up and down movement.'

The shovel 20 of scoop-like form is pivoted at the front ends of theside members of the frame by means of stub axles 2| (see Figures and 11)projecting inwards from the angle plates I4 and entering any approvedform of bearing 22 secured to the side walls of the shovel, the pivotingbeing disposed a slight extent to the rear of the centre of gravity ofthe shovel so that the front end thereof will tend to swing downwards asshown in dotted lines Figure 1.

An hydraulic ram has theunderside of its cylinder"24 provided withbrackets 26, see Figure 7, by means of which it is mounted on a shaft 21and secured thereon in a selected position by set screws 28. This shaftis joumalled in bearing brackets 29 fixed to a stand plate 30 in turnfixed by suitable spacing blocks iii to a part 32 of the tractor. Oneend of the shaft extends through a bearing bracket 29 andis welded to anangle plate 33 carrying a hydraulic pump 34. This pump has its outletconnected by suitable piping 35 to the lower end of the ram cylinder anditsinlet by a suitable flexible pipe 36 to a tank 31 which contains thefluid for the ram preferably a and 9, 43 attached to the side of theusual fan belt' drive pulley indicated by dotted lines 42. The pulley 43drives by means of belts 44 a pulley 45 on the end of the shaft 46arranged in suitable bearings 41 attached to the tractor. A shaft 48 isconnected by means of a universal shaft coupling 49 to the shaft 46,,andto the drive spindle 50 ofthe pump by means of another universalcoupling 49a. A sliding joint 46a is also arranged in the shaft. 48 toallow for extension due to the movement of the pump 34. I

The pump is of the usual geared type but is fitted with a valve 5|, seeFigure 13, adapted to by-pass the outlet side 35a'of the pump to theinlet side 36a in order to control the rise or fall of the ram. Thisvalve is of rotary form and has its spindle projecting through the pumpcasing and carrying a grooved sprocket wheel 54 thereon. Chains 55aconnected to wire cables 55 pass over the wheelwhile the cables arecarried through housings 13 and then attached to another chain 55b of alever control 56. The action be forced along the pipe 35 and will raisethe light oil, and which is carried on supports 39 on the rear end ofthe framing. A pipe 38 leads from near the upper end of the cylinder tothe tank 31 while a further pipe 46 from the upper end of the cylinderabove the plunger enables oil above of the pump is that as the gears 34arotate as indicated by the arrows in Figure 13 and the valve turned inthe position shown, the oil will ram' plunger 23 until it rises abovethe outlet of the pipe 38 whereupon the oil will flow through this pipeto the tank with the result that the ram will not rise higher. When thevalve is rotated so that its port connects the outlet side 35a to theinlet side 36a the ram under the weight of its load will force the oilthrough the valve port and into the pipe 36 to the tank so that the ramplunger will fall while the pump is still running. By a partial openingof the. valve the plunger may be raised to a desired height and held inthat position. The speed at which the plunger descends may also becontrolled by the valve.

The head 59 of the ram is connected to the jib frame by means of cables60 crossing the head and passing around pulleys 6l,- see Figures '7 and12, pivoted in plates 62 hinged on pins 52a in the plates l6 and l6a ofthe jib frame and thus provides a flexible and swinging-connectionbetween the ram and jib frame during the arcuate movement of the jib.

The shovel 20 is retained against a stop plate omitted from Figure 11.The pawls are disengaged from the projections 66 by means of a rod 61which slides through a lever 66 on the spindle 64 and which is carriedto the rear of the framing where it is attached to a hand lever 69, seeFigure 5, so as to be close to the operator.

A spring 61a attached to the rod and to the stay I8 will return the rodto the position shown in Figure 14, so as not to restrict the freemovement of the pawls. By manipulating this lever the pawls 63 can bedisengaged and the shovel will then tip and so discharge its contents.The pawls are prevented from moving beyond the position in Figure 10bymeans of a stop Ill fixed on the spindle 64 and striking against theupper face of an upper jib member. A rope 'H', see Figure 1 or 2, isalso attached to the upper side of the shovel and to the upper ends ofthe front uprights and is of a length that as the jib frame is loweredthe shovel is returned'to working position and the pawls again engagethe projections 66. A coil spring 12 may encircle the rope in order totake up the slack when the jib is raised.

During the operation of loading, the shovel will be in its loweredposition and the tractor driven forward to cause the shovel to enter theearth, gravel or the like with a scoop like action. When the shovel isloaded the operator by means of the hand lever 56 rotates the valve 5|to the position shown in Figure 13 to permit the oil to be forced intothe lower end of the ram cylinder. The ram thereupon rises and by meansof the cables 60 raises the jib frame, the-movement continuing until theram reaches its full height, governed by the outlet from its cylinder tothe pipe 38, and the frame assuming its raised position as shown inFigure 1. The tractor can now be driven where desired for the depositingof the load and the operator releases the pawl 63 from the projections66 by means of the hand lever 19 thus permitting the shovel to tipdownwards and discharge its contents. The tractor is then driven back tothe position for the next load the operator moving the lever 56 in thereverse direction and thus rotates the valve wheel 54 and the valve 5!to a position that will permit oil to flow from the ram cylinder throughthe valve 5| to the Jib to be lowered. when the lowered position hasbeen nearly reached the rope ll returnsthe shovel to working position(dotted. lines Figure 1) the pawls G3 falling into place overprojections 66 and the shovel is ready for the tractor to be drivenforwards to again load the shovel.

A number of spring leaves 14, see Figure 14, may be bolted to the crossstay 18 of the jib frame while a chain 15 is attached to the upper endand carried downwards and attached to the shovel. This arrangementcushions the fall of the shovel when it is released by the pawls.

I claim:

In a tractor, a main frame, an engine mounted in said frame, a jib framepivoted at the rear of said main frame, hydraulic ram means to raise thejib frame, means to operate the said ram means from the said engine, ascoop-like shovel pivoted at the front end of the jib frame, pro-J'ections on said shovel, a spindle journalled in the jib frame, pawlsfixed to the spindle and adapted to engage said projections on theshovel, a lever on the end of the spindle to which the, rod is 5connected, a stop on said spindle to engage the pipe 36 thus permittingthe ram to fall and the w frame and limit the rising of the pawls,spring leaves attached to the jib frame behind the shovel,

and a chain extending from the leaves to the shovel.

JACK HOSKING VOWLESS.

